


Repetition

by emothy



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-07
Updated: 2011-02-07
Packaged: 2017-10-25 00:12:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/269477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emothy/pseuds/emothy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Same continuity as <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/269475">Resurrection</a>, but not in first person this time. Yukimura isn't done talking things out with Sanada.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Repetition

-

 

"Renji already explained to me the reason he lost," Yukimura says, in a voice that invites no argument. "He allowed his emotions to get involved, something which he promises me won't happen again. And I believe him. As for Akaya... I take responsibility for Akaya-"

-though, Sanada notices, Yukimura does not absolve Akaya in those words, or appear to be making any sort of offer to take his punishment instead. As if any of them would dare punish Yukimura. He is only taking responsibility, not the blame.

"I should have said something before," Yukimura says, sighing to himself a little. "We've always given him free rein, and yet since I've been gone Akaya has finally gathered enough rope to hang himself by. I don't blame you or Renji for it; you were only doing as I'd asked of you. If I had been there to see it..."

Yukimura trails off, closing his mouth abruptly when he realises there is nothing else that needs saying in that regard. No time for regrets or second-guessing. Yukimura looks up again, and Sanada sees the hard look in his eyes, and shifts uncomfortably where he stands.

"You, however," Yukimura says, eyes narrowing, "chose to put something else ahead of your match. Ahead of the win. And I don't expect you to tell me it won't happen again, because if you lie to my face like that then I can never trust you again."

Sanada presses his lips together before any useless protests can escape. When he is sure of himself, everything is fine. Even when he is wrong, at least it can be measured in definites. It's the haze of uncertainty that cripples him.

And Yukimura isn't wrong.

"Honestly, could you promise me that if anything were to happen to me again you would disregard it and focus on the win, as I would want?"

Yukimura's wishes usually overpower everything. What Yukimura wants, he gets. But he's right; with the options coming down to the choice between Yukimura's wishes and Sanada's priorities, Sanada's priorities will emerge the winner, no matter how long the battle between the two might last.

"The difference is," Yukimura says quietly, finger drawing a circle on the bedsheet over and over as he watches it, "had Renji been given the chance over again he would have done everything differently. Even Akaya - knowing the outcome would be a loss for himself - would alter his game-plan purely for the glory of the win. I have no such faith in you. Given the opportunity, I think you'd do everything over again exactly the same way."

-


End file.
